New Delhi: Lieutenant Colonel Seeta Ashok Shelke, who led rescue and relief operations during the 2024 Wayanad floods and landslides and oversaw the construction of the 190-ft-long Bailey Bridge at Chooralmala to restore vital connectivity to remote villages, has been awarded the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2026, the Union hyome ministry said in a statement.
During the rescue efforts following the landslides, photographs of Shelke, then a Major, leading the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in Kerala’s Wayanad, were widely circulated on social media.
While the officer won the award in the individual category, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority won it in the Institutional category. The state’s disaster management authority received the award for having one of the best disaster preparedness mechanisms at each level on the ground, which could be replicated by states along the Himalayan belt and the Northeast.
The Centre instituted the award in 2018 to recognise and honour the invaluable contributions and selfless service of individuals and organisations in the field of disaster management. The government received 271 nominations for the award, which is announced every year on January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
“Lieutenant Colonel Seeta Ashok Shelke, Indian Army, led large-scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in Wayanad, Kerala, during the 2024 floods and landslides. She coordinated with civil authorities and local leaders to ensure rapid evacuation, relief distribution and restoration of essential services,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the officer directed multiple high-risk rescue missions under adverse weather conditions, saving hundreds of civilians.
{{/usCountry}}“Lieutenant Colonel Seeta Ashok Shelke, Indian Army, led large-scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in Wayanad, Kerala, during the 2024 floods and landslides. She coordinated with civil authorities and local leaders to ensure rapid evacuation, relief distribution and restoration of essential services,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the officer directed multiple high-risk rescue missions under adverse weather conditions, saving hundreds of civilians.
{{/usCountry}}Shelke also supervised the construction of the 190-foot bridge using a Komatsu PC210 excavator as a counterweight and built an improvised footbridge within four hours at night. “By mobilising 150 tonnes of equipment, Lieutenant Colonel Seeta Ashok Shelke led operations that benefited thousands through timely relief and recovery efforts,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), the ministry statement said, has significantly strengthened disaster preparedness and response in the state by deploying 1,185 trained Aapda Mitras as disaster management officials across three tiers — Disaster Management Assistants at the village level, Disaster Management Supervisors at block headquarters, and Disaster Management Coordinators at district headquarters. The state now has disaster management assistants at all gram panchayats.
“It has led to participatory planning, capacity-building initiatives and Panchayat-level committees, which have enhanced resilience to disasters and climate risks across all six districts. During critical events such as the 2016 Mantam landslide and the 2023 Teesta floods, SSDMA’s real-time coordination and trained first responders enabled the rescue of 2,563 people and reduced loss of life and damage. SSDMA has institutionalised a proactive, community-centred disaster risk reduction approach through Aapda Mitra, with a strong focus on early warning, preparedness and local capacity-building, creating a sustainable, scalable and replicable model of community-centred disaster resilience, particularly relevant for other Himalayan and Northeastern states,” the statement said.